Database Info

[Q] How do you manage App folders created on SD card ?

How do you manage App folders created on SD cards ? There are too .. many get orphaned after a while.. can we have a work around to move them to a folder like program files or something like that ?

i delete them manually, as most of them are pretty self descriptive which app it came from

I agree, even i have too many folders and some of them difficult to identify.
This can be new feature request to google. Suggest you post this in the google forum.

Identify the ones you DO know and move the ones you don't to your PC or Dropbox or something. If after a month and you don't miss any of them, then wipe them out.

Android file management idea

I have noticed that android apps are horrible with file management. When you install an app on the phone it installs a whole new file hierarchy.
Example... when you install Meme Generator it creates a memegenerator folder within that folder it caches Favorites, Instances, Generators, and shares
when you delete the app it doesn't remove this folder or any of its contents​
My idea is an app that would scan folders and mark if the folder is useless or not. Especially the unknown data folders that say something like com.fatsecret.android and have nothing but random .dat files or a .nomedia folder/file. Almost like a registry checker for a PC.
Another idea is to have an app that scans the SD card and locates all media. It would tell you how many of what type of file you have on your phone, and allow you to mass move to selected folders (Not copy or transfer but actually move th file to its new location)
im no programer but these would be great apps if they were to be developed

It would be really great man, unfortunately, I'm not able to develop things like this, but let me know about if it's ready.
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Lmfao i neglected to mention I am only beginning to learn the android programming. So im in no position to even comprehend programming this ... but im researching the possibility.
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File management is very messy at the moment. Something needs to give!

I agree, I've been looking for a decent file manager, but haven't found anything yet!

theblacknight said:
I agree, I've been looking for a decent file manager, but haven't found anything yet!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are quite a few but 'Astro' seems to be the most popular. Give it a try!

I use Astro and i'm quite happy with it.

The question would be how to determine useless folders.

Dark3n said:
The question would be how to determine useless folders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My initial idea was to use a system similar to a windows registry. Once the app starts for the first time it will create a database that stores folder data, which then it tries to match to an app that installed it. If the folder shows that the app that created it has been deleted it shows a red folder or has a negative mark next to it, if its still installed it shows a positive or green folder. This way you can get rid of the bad folders.
My second idea was to have an app create a drop folder for certain file types. For instance a folder like MY DOCUMENTS that has the folders MUSIC, PICTURES, AND VIDEOS. When the app starts it has you select a folder to drop a specific file type (example .MP3 files into MY DOCUMENTS/MUSIC). The all then media scans the phone and locate all matching file types and MOVES the file not COPYS.
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Something kinda similar to what you want was introduced in FroYo. It gives each app a directory (on the SD card I don't know about onboard memory) that is automatically deleted by the system when the app is installed. Currently it has a few fairly big bugs but hopefully they will get fixed and developers will start to use it.

coreyja said:
Something kinda similar to what you want was introduced in FroYo. It gives each app a directory (on the SD card I don't know about onboard memory) that is automatically deleted by the system when the app is installed. Currently it has a few fairly big bugs but hopefully they will get fixed and developers will start to use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds liie it will be excellent once its implemented. I'm sure as most new things take time to catch on this will probably take a little while for it to happen. Maybe Google is going to make it mandatory for devs to do this.
Smells like WINNING from my T-959 xda premium app

It wouldn't necessarily have to be an app but some process that would make create or add to (create a sub-directory) default folders. I'm not saying it has to be a window like system but as simple as it gets Music, Images, Documents, Downloads maybe a spare folder for necessary background files (Hidden) But accessible when needed. The biggest problem here is that I don't think too many people that want this solution are programmers. because if you know how to program then you spend all day sorting throu this stuff anyway.

Well i'm on 2.2.1 and the system still keeps the settings folders in /dbdata/databases/*packagename* after you uninstalled it.
I usually resort to deleting the folders in adb shell when programming and testing apps.
So it seems there is need for this and there is no such tool yet?
I might start on it then, do you think there is enough intrest in something like that?
Help me with the most difficult and important step, invent a name for such an app !

Sounds like a useful tool. Great idea.
I'm constantly searching through my sd card and trying to figure out what can be deleted.
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mobbeel said:
I use Astro and i'm quite happy with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried file expert? So much functionality for free.
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Dark3n said:
Well i'm on 2.2.1 and the system still keeps the settings folders in /dbdata/databases/*packagename* after you uninstalled it.
I usually resort to deleting the folders in adb shell when programming and testing apps.
So it seems there is need for this and there is no such tool yet?
I might start on it then, do you think there is enough intrest in something like that?
Help me with the most difficult and important step, invent a name for such an app !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Name ideas
-sd looter
-Datei Objekts (file objects in German)
-file euphoria
-Zen management
-SD filed or SDefiled
Just a few to spark interest.
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Allright, here we go:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1013063
First version is out, please help me test it.

This needs to be created. I'm just sorry I can't do any of the programming.
Just Incredible

[APP] X-Plore File Manager - duel pane tree view. Worth checking out.

Love this file manager. Everyone should be using this. Only thing that seems to confuse people, if you wanna copy of move a file to a different location, the file has to be selected from one side, and the destination has to be selected on the other side, then you hit copy of move and it will send it to that location. I usually just keep internal on one side, external on the other, and you can pop things back and forth. Works the same for sending files to cloud storage. However dropsync is the app I most use for that, large files seem to transfer more easily than in file managers. Smaller files work just fine tho.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lonelycatgames.Xplore
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lucas said:
Love this file manager. Everyone should be using this. Only thing that seems to confuse people, if you wanna copy of move a file to a different location, the file has to be selected from one side, and the destination has to be selected on the other side, then you hit copy of move and it will send it to that location. I usually just keep internal on one side, external on the other, and you can pop things back and forth. Works the same for sending files to cloud storage. However dropsync is the app I most use for that, large files seem to transfer more easily than in file managers. Smaller files work just fine tho.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lonelycatgames.Xplore
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im using this since ages. best one for ZIP operations.

Yeah it just seems like a lot of people have hard-ons for es and that root browser. I think anybody not using this file manager is just wasting time.
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I've been using this app since the glory days of s60v3. all other file manager apps just look like a confusing mess to me compared to x-plore and I don't ever see the day coming when I'll drop it.
that said there does seem to be some kind of changes in google's file system that x-plore hasn't kept up with. moving and copying files on marshmallow roms made after roughly Jan/Feb 2016 has the exact same issues for me on 2 phones. one is an s4 i9505 running custom and the other is an m8 on HTC made google edition firmware. that stops me thinking it's rom related.
without me even describing the issue in any detail do others out there know what I'm talking about ?
does anyone with a real dev level of understanding know specifically what the cause is ? if so I'd like to share that info with the dev at LCG and to bring the app back to it's former and fully deserved glory...

3mel said:
I've been using this app since the glory days of s60v3. all other file manager apps just look like a confusing mess to me compared to x-plore and I don't ever see the day coming when I'll drop it.
that said there does seem to be some kind of changes in google's file system that x-plore hasn't kept up with. moving and copying files on marshmallow roms made after roughly Jan/Feb 2016 has the exact same issues for me on 2 phones. one is an s4 i9505 running custom and the other is an m8 on HTC made google edition firmware. that stops me thinking it's rom related.
without me even describing the issue in any detail do others out there know what I'm talking about ?
does anyone with a real dev level of understanding know specifically what the cause is ? if so I'd like to share that info with the dev at LCG and to bring the app back to it's former and fully deserved glory...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you talking about Android 5+ SD card write support? If yes, X-plore already supports it.
---------- Post added at 06:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:29 AM ----------
lucas said:
Yeah it just seems like a lot of people have hard-ons for es and that root browser. I think anybody not using this file manager is just wasting time.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I switched from ES to X-plore.
To be honest, ES is more user friendly. X-plore is more like Total Commander, dual-panel styled file manager, which is more geeky.
Features are about the same, but X-plore is better for zip/archive management. I love disk map too, much faster than storage analyzer in ES. Also, ES is a adware/bloatware now, always sending data to servers in China.

salmanfarisy said:
Are you talking about Android 5+ SD card write support? If yes, X-plore already supports it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no that wasn't what I meant. specifically it's copying and moving files from anywhere to anywhere now results in a kind of hang for up to half an hour depending on the file size. you can leave the process to run in the background or even interrupt it and cancel it (most of the time it will be completed unless you marked more than one file). even if you've cancelled the move or copy and killed the app the notification will stay up for about half an hour before finally deciding it's completed with a toast to confirm it.
in the early days moving one file within the same memory was instant as the index was updated rather than moving anything. once this stopped being the case this weird error began it's journey.

I also use profimail from same author. Great apps
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Couldn't install .APK using this on Nexus 7 2013 with CM14.1; however, built-in File Manager can. Weird.

Great app.From Lonelycatgames.
I used profi mail , x-plore and LCG Jukebox for symbian s60 years ago...
Best software's.

MT2-User said:
Couldn't install .APK using this on Nexus 7 2013 with CM14.1; however, built-in File Manager can. Weird.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
check your configuration screen in the app, do you have "do you have open APK as zip" checked ? if yes uncheck it and see if it works.

3mel said:
check your configuration screen in the app, do you have "do you have open APK as zip" checked ? if yes uncheck it and see if it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it was unchecked.
Thanks anyway.

[Q] Application to periodically backup a directory to a cloud service?

Evening fellow individuals reading this. I am wondering if something along these lines exist for android. I'm aware of ES file explorer (as everyone else is). It's a beautiful piece of software with amazing functionality the way it integrates my dropbox, box, google drive and my skydrive together well but one thing I would kill for is the ability to have a directory from my internal or external memory periodically copied and replaced to any other directory in a cloud I choose. I don't believe you can do this in that app and I looked a bit. I didn't imagine you would really need root for something like this. Any ideas? Thanks immensely in advance.

A quick search of the Play store brought me to an app called Backup your folders
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fiistudio.fiibackup
From the description I think this might be what you're after.
I also remember the developers behind Titanium backup coming up with an app that did cloud backups. According to the Play store, that would be Titanium Media Sync
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.keramidas.MediaSync
That one's a paying app.
Hope these help

Sugarsync is going paid: share your alternative

Well, as of 60 days form now, free sugarsync accounts will be forced to be paid, and we have 6 days to take advantage of a special 19$ for the first year / 75$ per year after that for 60 gb.... For anyone who has used the sugarsync app on android, you know that most bugs that did not render the app unusable, and many fairly basic feature requests were ignored over the past two years (see the whole syncing to SD card debacle). I get that the idea is more money - less free-loaders = better service, but there is no way that I will pay before they can prove they can provide a solid service. So.... Let's share our alternatives for those who need to rework their file syncing setup!
In the last 3 hours since I got my sugarsync ultimatum, I have found 3 possibilities (one that works great, and two that I have not fully tested yet).
1- (works great! better than sugarsync)
-Use google drive (15GB minimum if you haven't gotten some bonus of some kind over the years for being early adopters)
-This allows you to use drive sync on desktops
-You can then use Foldersync to sync on your android device
2-
Goodsync. This is paid software, but I prefer one time payments for a system I control. This is more of a "sync when you need" setup, and won't do everything automatically for you on android (but it will on desktops), but allows for unlimited space because you use your computer's hard drive as your main source of data... down side, the goodsync android app is still a long way from being on par with the sugarsync or the foldersync apps
3-
Other services with folder sync (paid version if you want to use multiple accounts at once). I have not yet tried it with services other than google drive, but I do use a similar services on my desktop that consolidate cloud drives, so I don't see why it would not work on android. If the storage provider you want to use does not support syncing, the goodsync app for desktop connects to almost any online storage provider, so you can have a reliable way to sync to the cloud, and then foldersync does the equivalent job on your android device.
Once people have added their alternatives, I will create a poll so fellow users can see the favorite solutions at a glance.
Cheers!
Uninstalling SugarSync tonight!

you can try Google drive or dropbox

pidjong said:
you can try Google drive or dropbox
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
problem with google drive android app is that you have to manually sync each file, which is not so good if your goal is to have important files accessible at all times. I am quite happy with the drive + foldersync app though.
How is dropbox as far as selective folder syncing?

I'm getting to learn more and more about Dropbox since it came with a generous bonus storage on the Note 2 -if only for 2 years or so.
Also I read about Copy.com which comes with a 15gigs free + 5gig referral bonus (use the link in my sig if anyone wants both of us to benefit) though I'm not quite sure how well the sync'ing is so far. I think you can sync specific files but haven't fully tested it yet.
Mediafire is funny in that they are advertising their services anywhere there is new about Sugarsync giving up free plans but I haven't looked into them yet.
I'm also open to see what other people are using.

I've been using dropbox for a few years and upgraded to business package for my company since a few months ago. It works great for us.

Dropbox + Dropsync
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does anyone else doing this find that dropsync has a hard time keeping large folders up to date? For my biggest one it takes nearly 40 minutes to confirm that nothing has changed.

i'm using Google Drive and Dropbox

I'll be moving to Dropbox and Google drive for things like documents, temporary storage of photos, titanium backups, etc. I've started using Crashplan for backing up my very large photo and video archive.
Sugarsync was nice, but as someone who's heavily promoted them and have dozens of referrals to my name, I feel betrayed that they would do this, even as a paying costumer who uses free accounts for my daughter and wife.
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gc84245 said:
Dropbox + Dropsync
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check out Folder Sync, I was going to buy Dropsync but Folder Sync seems more versatile and cheaper.

I've moved to Copy
I've moved to Copy with it's 20GB free file sync & sharing with this referral link. It's like dropbox but with 10x more free storage. It has a single folder like Dropbox. I've used junction.exe from sysinternals to map from some of my existing folder locations to the Copy folder.
I particularly like that it has a feature that was missing in Sugarsync and that is 'view only' sharing.
Cheers,
Mark

Go for Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, Dev-st(devloper host) & many more are there
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Here are really nice and most informative post. I am totally agree with you and would like to say thanks to you that you share this post here with us.

JohnSteave said:
Here are really nice and most informative post. I am totally agree with you and would like to say thanks to you that you share this post here with us.
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Instead of saying thanks just press the thanks tab.
This will save the post count and space in XDA
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@marky1124
Thanks for the tip, I didin't know Copy.
I just had a look at it and it seems promising but I have one question. Does it automatically sync any folder you choose or only photos and videos?
From the description on the play store it seems only photos and videos are automatically synced....
Thanks,
Soda
marky1124 said:
I've moved to Copy with it's 20GB free file sync & sharing with this referral link. It's like dropbox but with 10x more free storage. It has a single folder like Dropbox. I've used junction.exe from sysinternals to map from some of my existing folder locations to the Copy folder.
I particularly like that it has a feature that was missing in Sugarsync and that is 'view only' sharing.
Cheers,
Mark
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Soda_47 said:
@marky1124
Thanks for the tip, I didin't know Copy.
I just had a look at it and it seems promising but I have one question. Does it automatically sync any folder you choose or only photos and videos?
From the description on the play store it seems only photos and videos are automatically synced....
Thanks,
Soda
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Soda,
I started out using Copy on PC first, I placed a few files in my Copy directory on my PC. When I installed the Copy app on my Android phone it automatically copied all of my files onto my Phone. So it by default sync'd all my files between my PC and my phone. In the app settings you can tick an option called 'PhotoCopy' which then automatically copies all new photos taken on your phone into your Copy folder and sync's them to the cloud (by default it does this only on wifi connectivity).
I hope this helps,
All the best,
Cheers,
Mark

I'm still looking at alternatives. The option to sync any folder and choose with whom to share it was the best thing from Sugarsync service.
From what I read only 3 other companies give the same option directly:
Bitcasa
Tresorit
Wuala
Anyone uses/used one of these services?

I use Dropbox, however I combine it with FolderSync on Android together with "App Backup & Restore" so that my newly installed apps can be synced to Dropbox right away. I recommend this combination.

@marky1124
Thanks for the reply, it's what I wanted to know .
@Karsa
I will look into the alternatives and give a feedback. But for now, I'm using Foldersync with Skydrive.

Although I'm really sorry to see SugarSync go, I believe Dropbox is the best alternative way to go.